He received what he feels is a gagging letter after he blew the whistle over chairs stained with blood and urine in casualty

AN NHS Trust governor has quit after being rapped by his chairman for exposing a hospital’s filthy conditions.

Matthew Brown received what he feels is a gagging letter after he blew the whistle over chairs stained with blood and urine in the casualty department.

Mr Brown complained to ­nurses about the waiting room on a visit with his father, John.

When nothing was done a week later he contacted his local newspaper about the issue.

Now he has ­resigned from the Trust in fury after a letter from Trust chairman Dr James Whittingham.

It said: “I am extremely ­concerned and disappointed that as a trust governor you felt it appropriate to publicly criticise the trust on this subject.”

The letter then blasted Mr Brown for taking “an unauthorised photograph” of bloodstained fabric on the chairs.

Mr Brown said yesterday: “Pressure is being put on to ­silence criticism. I feel like I’m getting my hands tied.

“The NHS Foundation Trust is toothless and professionals in the health service expect us to simply rubber-stamp everything. They should be investigating why fabric chairs are in A&E in the first place.

“Doctors and nurses work very hard, but those filthy seats ­undermine everything.”

Caters

"Unauthorised": His picture of the seat

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust have insisted the chairs at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby are regularly cleaned and are being replaced.

Trust secretary Wendy Booth said: “Our whistleblowing policy ensures there are mechanisms in place for people raising ­concerns. This situation with Matthew Brown doesn’t relate to whistleblowing.

“It relates to the governor code of conduct and his ­behaviour after he had openly raised the chairs issue with the Trust. He had ­already received a ­formal response that they were not an infection control risk and were going to be replaced.”

The row comes only days after NHS whistleblower Gary Walker was told he could have to repay £500,000 hush money after breaking a gagging clause ­imposed when he was fired as chief of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust in 2009.